With my name...    


Jin Kyung Bae, Publication Officer of KWWAU

 When we call to person, who is not very close, and somebody else answers the phone. "Who's calling please?", "Oh, yes, um..." In many cases, we try to explain the relation to the person, for instance, a friend, a colleague, etc. It is quite uneasy to give name. Names are supposed to be used by others not for addressing oneself. Particularly, we, women, as a mother, a daughter, a daughter in law, etc., are not familiar with being called by our name.
  Why haven't we said our own names? Generally we feel a responsibility for the situation if we mention our name in the situation.  Sometimes, we over-think the situation. Especially when we insist on something with our own name, we feel a stronger sense of defense. We worry about what others would think about the opinion or if there will be any harm.

  When we have to confront employers in the workplace, many of us are reluctant to stand out in front. This is to avoid any harm or difficult situation. In other words, none of us want to victimize their own name. In many cases, workers try to avoid participating even though there is much possibility of a triumph in the struggle because it will expose their names. We often receive calls from the husband, father, or lover of women through counseling center. They want to get help for their wife, daughter, or lover. To the question of why the women themselves do not give a call, they answer that they do not want to expose their names. Then they want to know what the counseling center can do for them.
  What can the counseling center do? We answer, "Nothing!" We can do our best to help our clients when they ask for "What I can do?, What I must do?, or What action can I take?"
  The self-esteem of women workers can be enhanced when the women workers can speak their own

 names. Let's speak our own names. We can restore our rights as much   as we work on that with our own name.




Korea Working Women's Network 2000

Posted by KWWA
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